NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 18, 2026: Puzzle #1195 Walkthrough

Overview of Today’s Puzzle

The New York Times Connections puzzle for September 18, 2026 (Puzzle #1195) offers a balanced mix of everyday terms and clever wordplay. Players must sort 16 words into four hidden groups, each containing four words linked by a common theme. Colors indicate difficulty: yellow for simple, green for moderate, blue for challenging, and purple for complex wordplay.

Today’s 16 Words

STEP, FLIGHT, STAIR, UPPER, BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER, TAKEOFF, BRIEF, PILLOW, PHASE, ROUND, STAGE.

Hints for Each Group

Yellow Group: Think of terms that describe stages of a process you encounter in daily life.

Green Group: Look for words commonly used when discussing food and drink assortments.

Blue Group: These terms are associated with different parts of a flight.

Purple Group: Consider words that pair well with the word ‘Case.’

One-Word Hints

• Yellow: PHASE
• Green: MEDLEY
• Blue: LANDING
• Purple: UPPER

Full Answers for September 18

Yellow Group (SEGMENT OF A PROCESS): PHASE, ROUND, STAGE, STEP

Green Group (ASSORTMENTS OF FOOD/DRINK): FLIGHT, MEDLEY, PLATTER, SAMPLER

Blue Group (PARTS OF A FLIGHT): BOARDING, CRUISE, LANDING, TAKEOFF

Purple Group (___CASE): BRIEF, PILLOW, STAIR, UPPER

Final Thoughts

This edition strikes a clean balance between food-related terms, flight segments, and case-related wordplay. The grid is easier than some previous puzzles, but the combination of themes keeps the challenge satisfying. Players will need keen observation to distinguish overlapping terms, making this a fun exercise for both beginners and experts.